A judge ruled Wednesday that Edmonton criminal Tammy Lynn Papin is a psychopath who poses a “very high risk” to re-offend violently, but she is not a dangerous offender.

However, Provincial Court Judge John Henderson designated the 46-year-old woman a long-term offender and ordered she be strictly supervised in the community for 10 years after she finishes a five-year prison term he gave her for stabbing her boyfriend three times in the chest.

“While I am satisfied that no treatment programs will reduce the risk the offender presents in the community, I conclude there remains a reasonable possibility that the offender’s behaviour will modify, by burnout or otherwise, and with close and effective supervision in the community the risk to the public can be controlled,” he said.

Henderson noted Papin has a long criminal record with several entries involving violence, but found she is not one of the few offenders who are at the extreme end and who, because of past behaviour, can be expected in the future to present an unacceptable risk to public safety.

“As a result, she cannot be a dangerous offender.”

Henderson gave Papin two years and nine months credit for the time she has already spent in custody, leaving her with two years and three months still to serve.

He also ordered her to submit a DNA sample for the national DNA databank in Ottawa and prohibited her from possessing weapons for life.

Defence lawyer Alex Millman said the four-foot-11 Papin, who was smiling and joking in court, was “pleased” with the ruling and feels the judge made the “right” decision.

The Crown had argued Papin should be locked up indefinitely as a dangerous offender, saying she has displayed a long-time pattern of violent and assaultive behaviour which experts concluded demonstrates she poses a risk to the public due to the high likelihood she will re-offend.

“She’s getting worse,” said Crown prosecutor Tania Holland earlier, suggesting Papin’s aggressive behaviour against others is escalating and noting she has been diagnosed as having an antisocial personality disorder as well as being labelled a psychopath. “She just can’t stop.”

Court heard at trial that Papin and Martin were living together and she stabbed him three times in the chest with a kitchen knife during an apparent argument.

Martin was found by police lying on the floor in the hallway near his apartment with a trail of blood leading back to the suite, which Papin came out of covered in blood.

After being arrested and put in a cell, Papin was seen trying to clean the blood off of herself by licking her arms and hands, even continuing after she was handcuffed.

During the dangerous offender hearing, court heard Papin has broken a woman’s nose with a pickle jar, killed an abusive partner and thrown concrete blocks at guards.

Since 1991, Papin has been convicted of three counts of aggravated assault, five counts of assault with a weapon, six counts of assaulting a peace officer, robbery and three counts of possessing a dangerous of prohibited weapon.

She was also acquitted of a charge of second-degree murder in 1990 as a result of battered woman syndrome.

Millman argued at the hearing that most of Papin’s violent offences have occurred while she was behind bars.

Edmonton 'very high risk' violent criminal Tammy Papin will not be labelled a dangerous offender

A judge ruled Wednesday that Edmonton criminal Tammy Lynn Papin is a psychopath who poses a “very high risk” to re-offend violently, but she is not a dangerous offender.

However, Provincial Court Judge John Henderson designated the 46-year-old woman a long-term offender and ordered she be strictly supervised in the community for 10 years after she finishes a five-year prison term he gave her for stabbing her boyfriend three times in the chest.

“While I am satisfied that no treatment programs will reduce the risk the offender presents in the community, I conclude there remains a reasonable possibility that the offender’s behaviour will modify, by burnout or otherwise, and with close and effective supervision in the community the risk to the public can be controlled,” he said.